Hi. We are Ken and Mary, and we are addicted to chickens. Seriously.
Spring is the most wonderful time on a farm. If it were any farm other than this one there would be fresh vegetables. However, out here, we’ve not quite found the time for the garden. [Note: If anyone within a reasonable driving distance would like to garden out here, have out it. I have the beds, the seeds, and a brown thumb. But there’s hope.]
What there is and will be more of in the next few weeks, is baby animals. Lambs and goats romp around the barnyard and have a ridiculous amount of fun! It can’t help but lift your spirits to watch them.
And then there are the chickens… and another batch of chickens … and yet another batch of chickens.
The first batch is totally excusable. I didn’t pick them out; our grandgirls, The Three Sisters, picked them out. Each girl picked out 3 chicks. Each chose a different breed. Going to the feed store and picking out chicks to is one of the highlights of their spring! From that batch, we ended up with 3 Buff Orpington’s, 3 Rhode Island Reds, and 3 Ameraucana’s. That was in early March, and they are coming along nicely. (Lousy picture but you can get the idea of their size. It’s hard to photograph a small object that moves!)
Then one day while driving I received a call from Pete, the owner of the feed store, saying that our chicks were there and waiting to be picked up. What chicks? I didn’t order any chicks? It appears that Ken had surreptitiously stopped by the feed store and ordered chicks! So now we have these little darlings (a total of 15 more chicks) — Russian Orloffs, Wyandotts, Speckled Sussex, Black Australopes, Lakenvelders, and something else that slips his mind at the moment. They are nicely feathered out, but still small, so they still have a light to sit under if it’s too cool for them.
But wait! There’s more!
Today, 30 more chicks showed up! Technically, these were the first ones that were ordered, but because of when I placed the order (yes, I’m to blame for these), I had to wait for an April 3rd hatch date. These are a bit different, too, because 25 of the 30 are heritage meat chickens. They will only be, ahem, temporary residents.
Like all brand new chicks, they are little more than balls of fluff. The meat breeds are Red Rangers, Naked Necks (one ugly bird), and Heritage Whites. Then there are also a few Golden Nuggets which, despite the name, are primarily layers. These interesting birds came from in Alabama. They will take a week or two longer to get to market weight than the “Frankenbird” Cornish Crosses that most people raise, but it will be worth it.
So there you have it – our chicken addiction. This will hopefully be the end of buying chicks for this year because it will soon be too warm, but you never know….
Baby Chickens Buy in
Millington, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Millington Illinois,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Millington
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Millington Illinois, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Millington IL.
Baby Chicks
Breeds in
Millington, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Millington Illinois
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Millington Illinois * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Millington
Illinois * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chickens Diet in
Millington, Illinois
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Millington Illinois is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Millington,
Illinois Baby chicks are really
cute and
difficult to withstand,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
proper materials, but
likewise the proper
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you simply have to provide them with the following: A
clean and also cozy
environment Lots of food and water Focus and also
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also require
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Also, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
give them with a heat source.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally work extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and also weekly this can
be decreased by
around 5 levels approximately. The heat resource ought
to be on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not just curling up),
you have to put some heat.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bed linen
typically and
consistently give tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand very quickly
which needs plenty of clean
food and water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as examine
often to avoid thirsty and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their behavior, you can
capture illness or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indications. Make certain to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted plumes and also blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to get more information
regarding cages and also
correct cage environments.
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